


Controlling the Dark

by Kittens



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Abuse, Armitage Hux Has Feelings, Dubious Consent, Kylo Ren is Not Nice, M/M, Rough Sex, Sith Kylo Ren, Unhealthy Relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-07
Updated: 2020-04-07
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:20:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23459242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kittens/pseuds/Kittens
Summary: The Supreme Leader seems to be falling more and more into the ways of the dark side of the Force. It could be just what Hux was waiting for - the chance to seize power and rule the First Order. But doing that means he'll lose Kylo forever and he's not sure if he could live with that.
Relationships: Armitage Hux/Kylo Ren
Comments: 10
Kudos: 72
Collections: Kylux Titleception 2020





	Controlling the Dark

**Author's Note:**

> Some non-soft kylux for once. I know I usually make things soft, but not this time.

As soon as Hux received word that Kylo’s shuttle was returning, he headed down to the hangar. There was no reason that he wouldn’t go to greet the Supreme Leader upon his return, but Hux wanted a little more than to update him on the things he had missed while he’d been away.

Things had been surprisingly good between them. After Kylo declared himself Supreme Leader, Hux had worried that the man who shared his bed more often than not was gone. Crait had been a bad time, but it hadn’t taken too long before things were back to normal between them. Of course, Kylo spent much of his time off ship, always searching for something. Hux didn’t know the details, and Kylo had never shared.

Hux arrived at the hangar at the same time that Kylo’s shuttle was landing. The ramp descended with a hiss and Hux heard the familiar stomp of Kylo’s boots as he disembarked from his shuttle.

“Supreme Leader,” Hux greeted. Kylo turned to him but seemed to be looking right through him. “I hope you’ve had a successful mission. Would you like the updates on the First Order?”

For several moments, Kylo just stared at him. Hux was starting to think he might need to ask again or maybe even call a med droid. Kylo didn’t seem like himself. Finally, he moved, looking away from Hux.

“No,” he said before walking away.

Hux watched him go, unable to help but feel disappointed and concerned. Kylo had never acted so cold towards him. He’d always had much more to say and Hux couldn’t get rid of the feeling that something was wrong with him. But he didn’t know the details of the mission. Maybe he was just tired.

Telling himself that Kylo would be back to his usual self after a good rest, Hux returned to the bridge. He had plenty of work to do and he didn’t have time to waste worrying about the Supreme Leader’s foul mood. He’d always been a moody person and Hux was sure his current mood would pass. 

Once he had himself distracted with work, he was almost able to forget about Kylo. Not that he ever could completely forget. There was always someone asking about getting the Supreme Leader’s approval for one project or another and Hux’s thoughts would drift to Kylo, but did his best to not think too much about him. 

At the end of his shift, Hux checked to see where Kylo was and saw that he’d returned to his quarters immediately after getting back on board and that he hadn’t left. Hux hoped that meant he had plenty of time to rest after his mission. He considered just going back to his own quarters and giving Kylo as much time as he needed, but he needed to talk to him, and not just about personal matters. Hux needed to update him on First Order business and hopefully learn the details of Kylo’s mission.

Hux made his way to Kylo’s quarters, requesting entry, but when he didn’t open the door, Hux opened it himself. They had long ago stopped caring much about walking in on each other and Hux didn’t think it would be a problem. He expected to find Kylo in bed, but he was sitting cross-legged on the floor, eyes closed.

“Supreme Leader,” Hux said, hoping to get his attention, but Kylo showed no sign of having heard him. Hux stepped closer. “Kylo?”

Hux put a hand on Kylo’s shoulder, wanting to get his attention but as soon as he did so, he could feel an invisible grip on his body. He tried to move but found that he was held in place. It wasn’t the first time that Kylo had used the Force against him, but Hux had thought they’d reached a point where he didn’t have to worry about that anymore.

“Kylo!” Hux called, trying to get his attention. Hux thought that he might have disturbed some Force thing. At least, that was the best scenario that Hux could think of and he didn’t want to think of the worst.

He found himself thrown to the floor and when he looked up, he saw Kylo standing over him. For a brief moment, he thought that something had happened to Kylo’s eyes as they looked yellow, but he blinked and they were back to their usual brown. It must have been a trick of the light or a side effect of having been attacked with the Force. 

“What are you doing here?” Kylo asked.

“I came to give you the updates on the Order,” Hux said as he pulled himself to his feet. 

“It’s unnecessary,” he said.

“Kylo,” Hux said stepping towards him and reaching for him, but Kylo pulled back. “Is everything all right?”

“You should go.” Kylo turned and walked into his refresher. Hux wanted to follow him, or at least wait for him, but he decided against it. Clearly, Kylo’s mood had not improved and he didn’t want to risk Kylo attacking him again.

Hux returned to his quarters, shaking by the time he’d made it. He really thought that he and Kylo had moved beyond that - Hux hadn’t even thought about killing him in months. Clearly, he’d been wrong. Or maybe it was something wrong with Kylo. He really didn’t seem like himself. 

Since Kylo didn’t seem interested in telling him anything about his mission, Hux decided to look it up himself. He pulled the records from Kylo’s shuttle, but saw that it was classified. Hux frowned. Nothing should be classified from him - he was the top general in the First Order. Of course, the Supreme Leader was the one who could keep things from him, but Hux wasn’t sure why. Kylo had never bothered to hide his movements before.

Perhaps when Kylo was in a better mood, he’d ask him about it, but it wasn’t important enough to bother him about immediately. He decided to check on his other recent missions, as well as those of the Knights of Ren and found that they were all classified. Kylo was clearly hiding something. 

Trying to put Kylo out of his mind, Hux turned to work. He had plenty of reports to read through, things to approve, and shipments of supplies to manage. He was only about halfway finished with his work, when the door opened and Kylo stomped in.

“If you’re still in a mood, I’d ask that you leave and come back later,” Hux said, barely looking up at him. In response, his datapad went flying across the room. “Ren!”

Kylo said nothing, walking closer and crowding into Hux’s personal space. Hux refused to back down from him, even though his earlier attack still weighed on Hux. Kylo looked at him for a few moments, then pulled off Hux’s belt and started to undo his uniform.

“What are you doing?” Hux asked, pushing his hands away.

“Take your clothes off,” Kylo said. Hux didn’t move for a moment, feeling like that was an order and not a request. He reached up and started where Kylo left off. Order or not, Hux was not opposed to the idea of sex. It was the reason he’d gone to Kylo’s quarters earlier, and it was better late than never.

Hux tried to fold his uniform neatly, but when he tried, Kylo started taking his pants off. Kylo was pressed up against him and Hux could feel his erection. No wonder he was so impatient. Realizing he wasn’t going to wait very long, Hux decided to forget about folding his uniform neatly and instead concentrated on getting all of his clothes off before Kylo ended up ripping them.

As soon as he pulled off his under layers, Kylo grabbed him and carried him to his bed, where he threw him down. Kylo barely even looked at him before he went rummaging through a nearby drawer to find a bottle of lube. He returned to the bed, still fully clothed and rolled Hux onto his stomach.

“You know you could have asked to be rough, right?” Hux asked him. Rough sex was how their relationship had started and Hux didn’t have a problem with it, but it was very unexpected. 

Kylo didn’t say anything, and Hux briefly wondered if he should stop him and try to get him to talk about what was wrong, but he’d rather fuck him first and hopefully that would put him in a better mood.

He felt Kylo’s ungloved hands on his ass and felt him spreading his cheeks apart. Usually Kylo spent a little more time beforehand, but he was clearly impatient and Hux felt a finger pushing inside him. Hux relaxed around him as best he could but he was more tense than usual. Before too long, he felt a second finger against his entrance. It was a bit too much, too soon and he pulled away.

“Slow down a bit,” Hux said. “Or at least use more lube if you’re really that impatient.”

Unfortunately, Kylo went for the more lube option and Hux could feel the excess dripping down from his hole. Hux ignored the discomfort as Kylo got his second finger inside him, and that discomfort was soon forgotten as Kylo hit his prostate. Kylo took a little bit more time with the second finger before adding the third, but it was still a bit faster than Hux was used to. Still, if it got Kylo out of whatever strange mood he was in, Hux was fine to move things along.

Almost as soon as Kylo had pressed his third finger inside, he withdrew them and Hux heard the sound of him undoing his pants.

“Really, Ren? That’s all the prep -”

Kylo started push himself inside, cutting Hux off. It really wasn’t enough prep, but it wasn’t as if it was the first time they had done this. It had just been a while since things had been that way between them. As Kylo continued to push inside, he gripped Hux’s hips hard enough that he knew he would have bruises and pulled him up on his knees. Hux soon felt the fabric of Kylo’s pants and tunic pressed against his ass and soon he started to move. For a few moments, he was slow but he quickly picked up the pace.

Kylo leaned over his back, wrapping one arm around his body and the other around his neck. It was almost too much for Hux, but he also couldn’t help but love the idea of Kylo holding him and controlling him. He could never forget how much larger Kylo was than he was, but he wasn’t used to Kylo giving such an obvious reminder. It was nice to not have to do anything - he just had to hold still and let Kylo take his pleasure.

And there was no reason that Hux couldn’t enjoy it too. Although that didn’t seem to be Kylo’s concern at all, he wasn’t stopping him so Hux took his own cock in hand and started stroking himself. Feeling Kylo’s powerful body around him, it didn’t take long for Hux to come. He went limp, no longer able to support himself, but Kylo kept him in position.

Just as Kylo’s cock was starting to become too much, Hux felt Kylo come. Kylo continued to hold him for a few more moments as he filled his ass, and as soon as he was done, he pulled out and dropped him. Hux rolled over and saw that Kylo was tucking himself away.

“Kylo?”

Kylo looked at him and Hux thought he once again had yellow eyes, but just like before, he was soon back to normal. But there was definitely something wrong with him. Even in the beginning where they had rough sex that was a fight as much as it was sex, Kylo had always wanted to stay for a few moments, and in recent months, he had become downright cuddly. Hux shivered, but only from the cold in the room. It had nothing to do with Kylo’s strange behavior.

“You don’t want to stay?” Hux asked as Kylo headed for the door.

“No,” Kylo said without looking back.

He left and Hux wasn’t sure what to think. He’d hoped that sex would get Kylo back to normal, but he seemed just as distant as when he’d gotten off his shuttle. It was even worse now because Hux realized he’d gotten used to Kylo wanting to hold him. He’d often pushed him away in the beginning, but now, he wanted nothing more than to lay in Kylo’s arms. With the way he’d simply left, Hux couldn’t help but feel used and he hated it. And he hated that Kylo was the one to do that to him.

***

Hux tried not to worry much about Kylo’s strange behavior. It had been days since he had returned to the _Finalizer_ and he had still not returned to normal. The more Hux thought about it, the more he realized he’d seen similar behavior before, but not since Snoke had been alive. Hux remembered those times all too well - anytime Kylo returned from a training session, he would withdraw and keep to himself. He wasn’t quite like that at the moment, but similar.

That made Hux wonder if Kylo had found some new powerful dark side user to become his new master. Hux didn’t like that idea for multiple reasons. If Kylo had put himself under a new master, that couldn’t be good for the First Order. Although Hux had learned to tolerate Kylo - and even like him at times - the First Order didn’t need any more Force users, especially not in charge. 

On a personal level, Hux had hated whenever Kylo came back from a training session with Snoke and he just wasn’t himself. He didn’t want to see Kylo going through that again.

So far, there was no indication that Kylo was working with anyone else, but Hux could see that there were plenty of warning signs. Not only was his behavior similar to how it was with Snoke, he was being secretive about something and he’d hardly been seen in several days. And whatever he was doing while locked up in his quarters did not involve leading the First Order, as Hux checked to see if he’d approved orders several times a day. Kylo hadn’t done a thing since his return.

Hux knew that he would have to talk to him again, see if he could get him to talk. He didn’t think his chances of that were good, but he had to try something. Otherwise, there would be countless things that never happened and Hux at least needed approval to take care of things on his own.

He didn’t know why he even bothered requesting entrance to Kylo’s quarters - he knew that Kylo wouldn’t answer, although part of him hoped that he would. That would mean that Kylo was back to his usual self and all Hux would have to do was tell him to go through his reports and then maybe he’d even kiss him. Hux wasn’t quite sure where that thought came from. Although kissing Kylo could be enjoyable, they only kissed while having sex or just after.

After waiting for a while, Hux opened Kylo’s door on his own. Remembering the last time he’d walked in, Hux knew he would have to be careful. Kylo was in a similar position to last time - sitting on the floor, but he wasn’t alone. The Knights of Ren were all sitting with him and Hux had the feeling he interrupted something he shouldn’t have.

Hux thought he should leave and come back later, but one by one, the Knights seemed to take notice of his presence and they were all staring at him. All of them except Kylo. He took a step back towards the door, wondering if the Knights would let him leave. With their masks on, Hux couldn’t even tell if they were angry or maybe just mildly annoyed.

When Kylo opened his eyes, Hux froze. There was no denying that his eyes were yellow now. He’d never been scared of Kylo before, not even when Kylo had attacked him using the Force, but there was something different about him. Those were not the same eyes of the man Hux had grown fond of over the years. This was something different. Something dangerous.

“What are you doing here?” Kylo asked, rising to his feet.

“I came to check on you,” Hux said.

“Why would I need you to do that?”

“There’s reports that you need to look over and orders you need to approve,” Hux said. Kylo was more talkative than he had been and Hux wondered if that was a good sign. There was still the matter of his eyes, but perhaps that was some side effect from something he’d been exposed to on his last mission. Still, Hux couldn’t shake the feeling that Kylo was very different, but he decided to push his luck anyway. “The First Order needs its Supreme Leader to actually lead.”

Kylo stared at him, but didn’t grow angry. He didn’t show any emotion at all. That was odd for him, as Kylo usually was very expressive, every thought he had obvious on his face. Hux should have been able to see some emotion from him, whether anger or amusement. But there was nothing.

“Is that what you really want?” 

“Of course, Supreme Leader,” Hux said, but he soon felt Kylo pushing inside his mind. He knew Kylo did it every now and then, but he’d never felt Kylo actually digging for information. It was not at all like the normal light brushes Hux had felt before. It was more like claws digging into him, tearing him apart from the inside. “Stop!”

Kylo’s presence withdrew and Hux realized he was on the floor. He had no idea if he’d been pushed down or if he’d collapsed on his own. Shakily, he managed to stand back up again, quickly trying to get rid of the wrinkles in his uniform.

“What was that for?” he growled at Kylo.

“Giving you what you want,” Kylo replied.

“I never wanted that!”

“You want to be Supreme Leader,” Kylo said, turning away from him. “If I’m doing such a poor job of it, then you do it yourself.”

Hux didn’t even know how to respond to that. He’d always known that Kylo had no real interest in leading the Order. The only thing he really cared about was power. Kylo wouldn’t let Hux lead the Order, as that would mean giving up his own power. Hux knew he’d do a much better job and it irritated him that Kylo kept the title of Supreme Leader when he really didn’t know what he was doing. Hux couldn’t imagine what would have made Kylo change his mind on that - not unless he’d found some other means of holding power.

“You’re still here,” Kylo said. “Ah. Yes. There was one other thing you wanted. A kiss, was it?”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

“Cardo,” Kylo said, addressing one of his Knights. “Give the general a kiss and see if that will satisfy him.”

One of the black clad Knights stepped forward and when he continued to advance into Hux’s personal space, he held out an arm to hold him back. The Knight stopped and turned back towards Kylo before pushing Hux’s arm aside and grabbing the sides of his face. Hux tried to push him away, but there wasn’t much he could do and Cardo pressed the front of his mask to Hux’s lips.

For once in his life, Hux was grateful that the Knights of Ren wore masks. He didn’t like the Knights coming anywhere near him, but it would have been far worse had Cardo been unmasked. The Knight released him and stepped back.

“That didn’t seem to be satisfactory,” Kylo said. “Trudgen. You’re next.”

“I don’t want or need any more of your Knights doing whatever that was!” Hux snapped. “What I need is for the First Order to run smoothly and supplies to get ordered on time and the repairs to the ship’s approved!”

“Like I said. Do it yourself.”

“I will and I think you’ll find things get done in a much more timely manner.”

“Then you should be satisfied enough to leave me alone.”

“Yes,” Hux said, not really feeling like that. He didn’t want to leave Kylo alone, even if it meant he was the Supreme Leader in all but name. What he wanted was for Kylo to go back to normal, especially his eyes. “What are you doing anyway?”

“That’s really none of your business.”

“It’s happening on my ship. I should be aware of these things.”

“It’s not something you can understand. Go back to your war, Hux.”

Hux wanted to ask him to try explaining it, but Kylo looked at him once again with those unnatural eyes and Hux realized he shouldn’t be trying to ask anything of him at the moment. He had what he wanted - he was free to lead the First Order. There was no point in risking the loss of that so soon by asking questions. Kylo was probably right anyway. He never had understood the Force or anything related to it.

As he left, he couldn’t help but feel sad. Something had happened to Kylo and Hux wasn’t sure if it was permanent. He should have been happy to be in charge, but he hated that it came at the price of the Kylo he used to know.

***

The First Order was running better than ever, in large part because there was no longer a Force user calling the shots. When Kylo had told Hux to take care of things, he’d meant it, and Hux found that he had full authority to do just about whatever he wanted. He could approve any spending, troop movements, trade agreements, all of it. Hux shouldn’t have had anything to complain about.

Hux tried to be satisfied with what he had - it was almost everything he’d ever wanted. He would have preferred to have the title that went with his role and no Force users to deal with, or perhaps only having them under his control, but what he had was good. He shouldn’t be upset that he hadn’t even seen Kylo in nearly a month.

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t forget about Kylo. He was still on the ship and that meant he was still of concern to Hux. Although he’d kept to his quarters for the most part, Hux knew that his presence meant there was potential for trouble. If he only knew a little more about what Kylo was doing, he’d feel better about him lurking around the ship still.

He’d already learned that he wouldn’t get anything from Kylo. His first thought was to check the security feeds and see if he could tell what Kylo was up to, but he left his quarters so infrequently that he couldn’t get any information that way. The only other people who might know anything were the Knights of Ren. Hux did his best to avoid them, but he had to try finding out somehow and that was the only thing Hux could think of.

He’d spoken to the Knights a few times and although he didn’t know any of them well, there were a few he liked more than others. Of course, he found that most of them weren’t too bad on their own, but they unfortunately were usually with at least one other Knight.

Wanting to catch one of the Knights on their own, Hux kept an eye on the security feed outside of Kylo’s quarters and waited. It took a few days, but finally, he managed to catch one of the Knights leaving on his own and Hux left, watching where the Knight went on his datapad. Before too long, he managed to get in his path.

When the Knight saw him, he froze, and Hux looked at him for a few moments, trying to remember which of the Knights he was looking at. Hux never paid much attention to the differences in their masks and clothes. He saw black clothes and a mask and he knew he was looking at a Knight and there had never been any reason for him to know more than that.

“Ushar, right?” Hux said, feeling like he was mostly guessing.

“General,” he said, giving a slight nod. Hux assumed that he must have gotten his name right, or perhaps he just didn’t care.

“I’ve never known the Knights of Ren to stay on board the ship for this long,” he said, wanting to see how talkative the Knight was.

“Our master needs us.”

“To do what, exactly? I’ve noticed that none of you are spending much time out of his quarters.”

“Is that what you wanted? To know what we’re doing?”

“I would, actually. Whatever you’re doing, it’s happening on my ship and I should be aware of it.”

Ushar made a sound that might have been a laugh, but it was distorted by his mask. “It is nothing you need to concern yourself with. You wouldn’t understand.”

“Yes, that’s what Kylo always says when it’s something Force-related. If I won’t understand anyway, then I’m sure it wouldn’t hurt to tell me.”

For a few moments, Ushar was silent and Hux wasn’t sure he was going to get an answer from him. But if he wasn’t going to answer, then he should have walked away. It seemed more like he was trying to think of a way to answer.

“Kylo is becoming more in tune with the dark side of the Force. Stronger.”

“Is someone teaching him this? He hasn’t pledged himself to a new master, has he?”

“Of course not. He’s finding his own power within himself.”

“And is this what has caused his eyes to turn colors? How does that work?”

“I haven’t noticed anything about his eyes.” Ushar fell silent for several moments and then spoke up again. “Is that all you needed?”

“I imagine I’m not going to get anything else from you, but I suppose you’ve been as helpful as any of you Knights ever are.”

Hux turned and walked back to his quarters. Although Ushar hadn’t said much at all, he did give Hux more information that Kylo would have given him and it gave him a place to start on his own research. Now that he knew it was something Force related, he could start looking into Kylo’s condition on his own. 

The First Order had a good database of Force related information, although none of it had ever interested Hux before. He still didn’t care about most of it, so he searched for any information about dark side users and eye color changes. It took some time, but eventually, Hux found what he was looking for, although it was not what he hoped to find.

The only record of eye color change was in the Sith and just like Kylo, their eyes would turn yellow. Although Kylo had allowed him control of the First Order, he knew he could change that very quickly and the last thing the Order needed was the Sith. They’d ruined the Empire and Hux was not going to let the Sith take over the First Order and lead it to the same fate. 

He wanted to tell Kylo that there was no need for him to pursue that path - Hux knew that Kylo was strong in the Force as it was. He didn’t need the Sith to become stronger. But if he insisted, Hux didn’t want him on the ship or anywhere near the Order. If he wanted to be a Sith, he could do it somewhere else. 

Confronting Kylo would not be easy - he would probably get angry and possibly attack him. What Hux needed first was more information on exactly what Kylo was doing. But that wasn’t going to be easy to get. He glanced at the time and saw that it was late. Whatever plan he decided to come up with could wait. He’d think better after a few hours of sleep.

***

If Hux wanted to know what Kylo was up to, he had to get into his quarters. That was going to be difficult, and Hux tried to talk himself out of it, telling himself it didn’t really matter what Kylo was doing and that if he kept to himself and only occasionally used First Order resources, that was perfectly fine. Sith or not, Kylo was still allowing Hux total control. If he caught him breaking in, who knew what he would do in retaliation.

Not only was it dangerous both to his career and life, but Kylo hardly left his quarters. Under normal circumstances, Hux was sure that he could have found a reason for him to leave, but he wasn’t responding to any messages - Hux had attempted a few times to reach him, inviting him to his quarters. There was no indication that Kylo had even looked at the messages. 

Hux knew he should probably just let Kylo be and let him do whatever he wanted. But he hated what Kylo was becoming. They almost got along at times, and even though they fought constantly, Kylo truly was the closest thing to a friend that Hux had ever had. And the sex was good too. Hux couldn’t just give all that up.

Once again, Hux found himself watching the security feed outside of Kylo’s quarters, waiting for a time when Kylo and the Knights would all leave. In the old days, Hux could have made up a reason to get Kylo out of his quarters, but he didn’t respond to messages anymore. There was nothing that Kylo cared about more than whatever it was he was doing. Getting stronger. How sitting in his quarters all day made him stronger Hux didn’t know, but he was going to find out.

In the end, it wasn’t watching the cameras that alerted Hux to Kylo’s departure. Instead, there was a notification on his datapad that the _Night Buzzard_ had just departed without clearance. Hux quickly gave his okay and told the hangar crew not to worry about it, but he did ask to be alerted to the ship’s return. As he walked to Kylo’s quarters, Hux looked on his datapad, verifying that Kylo and all the Knights had left. He saw all of them on the security feed - they were all gone. There wouldn’t be a better opportunity.

Hux really had no idea what he might find in Kylo’s quarters or if any of it would tell him anything. He really didn’t understand the Force, but maybe there would be something that would give him a clue and maybe, just maybe, he could find a way to stop Kylo from continuing on whatever path he was on. He finally had someone in his life that he cared about and he couldn’t lose him. Not in this way. Losing Kylo in battle would be one thing - they were fighting a war and things happened - but watching Kylo drift away and be consumed by some unseen thing was too much.

When Hux walked in to Kylo’s quarters, he was surprised to find that it was neat and tidy. He’d thought that Kylo would have been making a mess. There were some things that were different than the last time he’d been in there - several objects were on a table and another on the floor. Hux looked at the object on the floor first - it was a small pyramid that at first Hux thought was made of stone but as he drew closer, he thought perhaps transparisteel or some other similar substance. He picked it up and saw that it seemed to change colors as the light reflected off of it, but it didn’t seem to be at all interesting.

Why Kylo had such a strange object was a mystery to Hux. He looked it over, wondering if it was some kind of storage device but it looked more like some kind of odd sculpture than anything else. He put it back down and turned his attention to the table. Much of what was there was similar to the pyramid - it looked like useless junk - but there were a few things that Hux recognized. The three lightsabers were rather obvious as to their function, but that was the only thing that Hux understood.

He didn’t know why Kylo would have extra lightsabers. He would have thought that the Knights would have carried them, but he’d never seen one of them with such a weapon, as they all had their own preferences. Hux picked one of the lightsabers up, looking it over. Maybe it wasn’t an actual lightsaber but just a hilt. Hux turned it over a few times in his hand and found the activation switch. He turned it on and the room was bathed in blue light.

“What are you doing?”

Hux spun around and saw that Kylo was in the doorway. Hux hadn’t heard him come in, nor had he heard the beeping of his datapad. He didn’t feel like he had been in Kylo’s quarters long but a glance at his datapad showed that he’d been in there an hour. He also noticed that ten minutes ago, he was notified of the _Night Buzzard_ ’s return. 

“Kylo,” Hux said, not knowing what to say. How could he explain that he was worried about him? He clearly needed to be as not only were his eyes yellow, his skin appeared to have a grayish cast and he looked much older than he really was.

“You’re not supposed to be in here!” Kylo yelled as a chair flew into a wall and broke into several pieces. “You have no business in here!”

Kylo continued screaming at him, but Hux didn’t pay attention to his words. None of it mattered. All Hux could think about was how after the throne room and Crait, Kylo had come to him, promising that he’d never hurt him again. Hux remembered how Kylo gently caressed him, lightly kissing the bruises. Hux had forgiven him had even slept in the new Supreme Leader’s bed that night. Kylo hadn’t broken that promise, but as he threw things around the room with the Force, Hux knew it wouldn’t be long before he did.

Hux suspected that Kylo wouldn’t just choke him or throw him into a wall. This was not the Kylo he knew. The man in front of him would kill him. Hux understood that and knew he had little chance of getting out of there alive. He’d have to get past Kylo and make it to the door and to the hangar and he’d have to hope he could get on a ship and fly it away without Kylo or one of his Knights stopping him. And then he’d have to figure out where to go and how to avoid both Kylo and any Resistance agents that might be out there

The only chance he had was already in his hand. It was stupid, but Hux raised up the lightsaber. Fighting Kylo in a lightsaber duel was bound to be disastrous, but Hux couldn’t think of anything else he could do. He had his blaster but he knew that would be useless against Kylo. But if he could distract him with a lightsaber battle, maybe he could manage to shoot him. Hux hated to think about that, but his own survival was more important.

“This is really what you want to do?” Kylo growled, taking his own lightaber from his belt. He turned it on, and that crackled from the weapon had never sounded more dangerous. Without further warning, Kylo attacked.

Hux didn’t know why he thought he might have a chance - it was all he could do to block Kylo’s attacks. There was no winning the battle for him and he couldn’t help but cry as he realized he was losing. It wasn’t so much losing that upset him. It was that after everything, he would meet his end like this. He wouldn’t go down with his ship or be assassinated by his rivals. Instead, he was going to die at the hand of a man he had once loved.

It wasn’t long before Kylo disarmed him and knocked him to the floor. Hux didn’t even bother reaching for his blaster. What was the point? He could only look at Kylo, trying to remember him as he once was. He didn’t want to think of him in his current state. He wanted his last thoughts to be of the man who under his helmet looked like a scared boy, who was enthusiastic about everything Hux wanted to teach him in the bedroom and whose face would light up whenever he talked about some subject that interested him. Hux wanted to remember the way he would laugh, although it was rare and the way that Kylo used to cling to him in the night and how they would both comfort each other after a nightmare.

“I’m sorry,” Hux said, unable to stop crying. He had no idea why he was apologizing to him, but he couldn’t help it. He was sorry that things couldn’t have worked out between them, that he hadn’t been enough for Kylo.

“Hux.”

Kylo lowered his lightsaber and looked at him for several moments. Then, he turned it off and dropped it. Before Hux could react, Kylo was on his knees in front of him, wrapping his arms around him, holding him tightly.

“Hux,” Kylo said again. Hux could feel Kylo’s tears against his neck and he started to put his arms around Kylo. All he wanted to do was hold him. But Kylo had very nearly killed him and Hux couldn’t be sure what he was doing or if he would still want to kill him.

Hux struggled against him and for a moment, he thought that Kylo might keep holding on to him. Maybe his plan was to crush him to death in a hug. His chest hurt and he thought that was exactly what he was doing. But finally, Kylo let go and when he did, Hux saw that his eyes were brown again. That was almost enough for Hux to throw himself back into Kylo’s arms, but he couldn’t forgive him so easily.

“Get away from me!” Hux said as he got to his feet.

“Hux.” Kylo remained on the floor, even as Hux made it to the door. Hux stopped, turning back to face him. “You love me?”

Hux wanted to tell him no, that he hated him. How could he not after what he had just done? But that wasn’t entirely true. Part of him still did love Kylo but he couldn’t tell him that. Not knowing what to say, Hux left without answering the question.

***

Hux didn’t manage to sleep at all. The three hours he usually dedicated to sleep were instead spent worrying about Kylo and whether or not he needed to get off the ship. He should have left. Who knew when Kylo would have another change of heart? The only problem was that Hux had no idea where he would go.

Instead of sneaking off to the hangar and stealing a ship, Hux found himself taking an extra dose of stims and making his way to the High Council meeting. It was only a routine update with the other high ranking officers giving updates on their projects, making requests for additional resources and Hux guiding them. Normally, they were quite simple meetings and Hux knew he could get through it with no sleep and worries about Kylo on his mind.

Of course Kylo had to ruin everything. Just as the meeting started, the door opened and Kylo stalked into the room. Hux was the furthest thing from Force sensitive, but even he could feel the fear and uncertainty coming from the others in the room. It was likely the first time they had seen the Supreme Leader in months. Even Hux wasn’t sure what to make of his sudden appearance. His first thought was that Kylo wanted to execute him in front of the others, but he only went to lean against a wall behind Hux.

“Continue,” he ordered, voice low.

Hux hesitated, but then continued, doing his best not to think about Kylo. That was impossible because he knew that Kylo was very dangerous and he hated having him behind him. The others were also more nervous as they spoke and Hux noticed that they were constantly glancing towards Kylo. The entire time, Kylo remained silent, and Hux wished that he’d at least mention why he decided to finally appear at a meting. It wasn’t as if his presence was required - Hux had been doing a perfectly good job on his own. Maybe he was picking out a replacement for Hux.

Briefly, Hux wondered if some of the others had the same idea. One older admiral - a former Imperial, of course - seemed to be emboldened by the Supreme Leader’s presence and started arguing with Hux about some of his recent decisions. Hux knew the old admiral didn’t like him, but he’d never been so argumentative. 

Mid-argument, the admiral fell silent. While the others shared a look of confusion, Hux knew exactly what was happening. He turned and looked at Kylo, who had his hand outstretched. He hadn’t noticed his eyes when he walked in the room, but they were currently yellow. He felt the same pain in his chest that he had when Kylo had hugged him, but he didn’t think Kylo was attacking him.

Hux realized that he’d hoped that Kylo had stopped whatever it was he had been doing and would go back to the man he used to be, but he’d been wrong. Something had changed in him because he was actually out of his quarters, but clearly, he was already committed to the Sith path.

“It’s not wise to argue with the Grand Marshal,” Kylo said, releasing the admiral. “This meeting is over.”

Everyone started to leave, but Hux knew that Kylo didn’t intend for him to leave with the others. Still, he headed for the door, only stopping when he felt an invisible touch on his shoulder. He knew he should at least be glad that Kylo hadn’t choked him or immobilized him, but Hux really didn’t want Kylo using his powers on him at all.

“Armitage,” Kylo said once they were alone. Hux frowned as he turned to face him. Kylo almost never used his first name.

“Is there something I can do for you Supreme Leader?” Hux noted that his eyes were no longer yellow, but he wasn’t sure if that meant anything or not. Perhaps they would only turn colors under certain circumstances, but Hux really didn’t care enough to find out.

“I… damn it, Armitage! What do I have to do?”

Hux couldn’t help but flinch as Kylo started yelling. He expected that he’d be thrown into a wall, and when Kylo stepped towards him, he couldn’t help but step back. As much as he hated to admit it, he was afraid of Kylo. Once again, he felt pain in his chest and he knew he was right to be afraid.

“Whatever you’re doing, stop it!” 

“I’m not doing anything,” Kylo said, and Hux could almost believe him. His eyes were back to normal, although he still looked pale. Hux wanted to believe that was his Kylo standing in front of him, but he’d just watched him nearly kill someone else. Not that Hux would have cared about that admiral, but he couldn’t trust Kylo could control himself.

The pain in his chest seemed to get worse as he realized that the Kylo he knew and loved was gone and all that was left was the ghost standing before him. Hux could never trust him.

“Hux?” Kylo reached out to touch him, but Hux pushed his hand away. “I gave you the promotion. What else do you want?”

“I want you to go away. I never want to see you again.” 

Kylo looked shocked and Hux didn’t stick around to see what his next response would be. Surprisingly, he made it out of the room, but the pain in his chest didn’t fade. Maybe Kylo really wasn’t responsible for that. Maybe he was having a heart attack. It really was only a matter of time with all the stims he took, and the double dose that morning certainly hadn’t helped.

He saw that he had twenty minutes before he was scheduled to go over numbers with the stormtrooper captain, but he assigned it to another officer. That would give him enough time to get checked over by medical and then he could get back to work.

At least being general gave him quick access to medical care. As soon as he walked in, he was taken to a private room and checked over by a droid. The droid asked several questions as it took Hux’s vitals as well as a blood sample.

“You appear to be in decent health,” the droid said after about five minutes. “However, you are exhausting yourself, are under stress, and are mildly dehydrated. I recommend a period of rest of no less than three days.”

“Three days? That’s ridiculous! How could any of that be causing chest pain?”

“Stress can manifest in many ways. If you do not allow yourself some time to recover, it is possible you will face more severe consequences. This may very well be the beginning of heart problems.”

“If I’m not dying yet, then I don’t have time to deal with it,” Hux grumbled. He got up, ignoring the protests of the droid. As he left, he wondered if it was really all worth it. Maybe he was going to work himself into an early grave. Not that Kylo would give him the chance to do so. Really, why make it worse on himself if nothing he did would ever matter? 

He quickly assigned his upcoming bridge shift to someone else and then returned to his quarters. For once in his life, it was time to put himself first. He’d already lost everything. The entire First Order was lost to him the moment Kylo became Supreme Leader, and although he’d had Kylo himself for a short while, he was gone too. Hux had nothing left.

His entire life was meaningless. He’d devoted himself to the cause and now that cause was taken over by a mad man who didn’t truly care. How could he? Kylo had been raised in the Republic, a Jedi. How could he understand the First Order and what they were trying to achieve? He only wanted power. Hux knew that. He’d always known that.

The pain in his chest seemed to grow worse, and Hux almost called to have a medical droid sent to his quarters, but he knew that the droid would only give him the same message as earlier. Too much stress and too little sleep. There wasn’t anything he could do about the stress but he could at least try to catch up on sleep.

He was laying in bed, unable to sleep for what felt like an hour. The sound of someone requesting entry to his quarters brought him to full alertness and he saw that he’d been in bed for nearly five hours. Maybe he had managed to sleep, although it didn’t quite feel like it.

Before he could tell whoever was at his door to go away, the door slid open on its own which meant it could only be one person. Kylo.

“I said I didn’t want to see you,” Hux told him.

“I know. I wanted to apologize.”

“Save it. I don’t want to hear it.”

“I know you’re angry, but I want to make this up to you.”

“You can’t. You remember after Crait. I decided then to trust you and as it turns out, that was a colossal mistake. I told you then that if you ever hurt me again, we would be done. And look at what you’ve done.”

Kylo was silent and somehow, that was worse than if Kylo had started yelling at him. He even looked sad, which made Hux think that he might genuinely be sorry. But he wasn’t about to fall for that act again. He’d had his chance to prove himself and he failed.

“Okay.”

“That’s all you have to say? You nearly killed me and all I’m going to get from it is okay?”

“I don’t know what to do!” Kylo said, raising his voice. “I know I fucked up and I want to make things right! But everything I do is still wrong! I give you your stupid promotion and shut up that admiral you hate so much and that wasn’t good enough and then I try to accept what you’re saying and you’re still angry! So what am I supposed to do?”

“Leave me alone! Whatever we had is over with and you only have yourself to blame. There is no going back to the way things were!”

“I know, Armitage! But I lo-”

“Don’t finish that!” Hux snapped. He wasn’t going to listen to Kylo claim to love him. Maybe in that moment he did, but sooner or later, Kylo would be willing to kill him if it meant he could have just a little bit more power, because that was what Kylo truly loved.

“Please, Armitage,” Kylo said dropping to his knees in front of him. “I just want to do something. Anything. Whatever you want. I’ll do it. There is no expectation for you to do anything in return. I just need to make this up to you.”

“You expect me to believe you? That you’d do something just because? That you’re not going to expect me to warm your bed in return? Because I can assure you that will never happen again.”

“I know. If you want to leave the ship, I can arrange that. If you want another ship. If you want a planet. Anything.”

“What if I want this ship and for you to leave?”

“I…” Kylo looked like he was about to argue, but then he sighed and looked down. “If that’s what you want. Then I’ll go.”

He looked so defeated like that and Hux wasn’t sure if h e wanted to hug him and tell him that everything would be fine or if he wanted to kick him as hard as he could, maybe inflict some pain on him for once. He wondered if Kylo would let him if he asked. He did say he would do _anything_. But that wouldn’t change what Kylo did. Hux didn’t think it would truly make him feel better either, but there were others he wouldn’t mind seeing hurt.

“There are a few former Imperials left in our ranks,” Hux said. “Some of them were friends of my father. I want them killed.”

Kylo looked up, a frown on his face. “You don’t need me for that. Your the Grand Marshal now. You have the authority to execute whoever you want.”

“You really are promoting me?” Kylo nodded and Hux wasn’t sure how he felt about that. He’d wanted that rank for so long that it seemed unreal that he’d actually achieved it. Especially with how Kylo had just dropped it on High Council. “Still, I think it may be best to have the orders come from the Supreme Leader.”

“Whoever you want,” Kylo said. “I’ll kill them. However you want me to.”

Hux wondered just how serious Kylo was about everything. He seemed very willing to give Hux whatever he wanted, but he knew there had to be limits. There was one thing Hux could think of that would tell him just how sincere Kylo was and if he truly felt bad.

“All of those things in your quarters were doing strange things to you, weren’t they?” he asked.

“They’re Sith artifacts,” Kylo started to explain.

“Yes, I don’t particularly care what they are. I want you to get rid of them.”

“Hux, those are rare! I can’t just throw them out!”

“You can go,” Hux said, feeling another sharp pain in his chest. Of course Kylo would pick that junk over him. Especially if it truly did give him more power.

“Wait,” Kylo said. “I’ll do it. If that’s really what you want me to do. I’ll get rid of all of it.”

“I’ll believe it when I see it,” Hux said, sure Kylo would do no such thing. At best, Kylo might have one of his Knights take it off ship to a secure location, but he knew Kylo wouldn’t just give it up, especially not just because Hux had asked him to.

“Armitage.”

“I need to rest,” Hux said. “Medical said I need at least three days.”

“Of course,” Kylo said. “I’m glad you’re taking care of yourself.”

He got up and left, pausing as he reached the door. He turned back around, looking like he might say something, but he left without saying another word. Hux wasn’t sure what to make of that encounter. Kylo had truly seemed like himself, but Hux knew he couldn’t fall for that. Not again. But he would take whatever he could get from him. It was the only way he might make himself feel better.

***

Hux still couldn’t believe that Kylo had accepted his list of demands and was actually carrying through with them. Only hours after submitting a list of his father’s friends that were still alive and in the Order, they all had orders summoning them to the _Finalizer._ And Kylo had killed every single one, following Hux’s instructions to the letter.

He had to admit that there was a thrill to be commanding Kylo, as if he were nothing but a weapon ot be used. And what a weapon he was. Kylo had all manner of instruments at his command, and for those brief moments, they were under Hux’s command. It was not something that would last and Hux was almost sad when it was over.

It was the day after that he’d received a request from Kylo, wanting him to meet in one of the aft sections of the ship. There wasn’t much there - just the trash compactor maintenance room. Although worded as a request, Hux suspected it really wasn’t. If he refused, Kylo or one of his Knights would drag him out of his quarters and down to the trash compactor, and he’d much rather keep his dignity intact for as long as possible.

When he got to the meeting point, he found Kylo standing with a small crate, the lid slightly askew on top of it. Hux stopped out of arm’s reach, although with Kylo, that didn’t mean much. Still, it felt just a little bit safer to be out of reach. 

“What is this?” Hux asked.

“What you asked of me,” Kylo said, pushing the lid of the crate aside. Hux could see several things he remembered seeing in Kylo’s quarters. “I’m getting rid of it.”

“How do I know this is all of it?” Hux said, stepping just a bit closer to peer inside. 

“It’s not.” Hux looked up at Kylo and he shifted uncomfortably for a moment before reaching around to his back and pulling out a cylindrical object. Hux recognized it immediately - the lightsaber he had used when he tried to fight Kylo. “Um. If you want it. It’s yours.”

“What would I do with that?” Hux asked.

“I don’t know,” Kylo said with a shrug. “Whatever you want. I’d teach you to use it. Or you can throw it in with the rest of this stuff. It’s up to you.”

“Why?”

“I wanted to give you something. A physical reminder of my thanks.”

“Thanks?” Hux had no idea what Kylo was talking about. Why would he be thanking him? Hux knew he wanted to keep his Sith items. He should hate Hux for making him give it up, especially since Hux still had no intention of giving Kylo anything in return.

“You saved me. The Sith path is… well. You saw it. What it was doing to me. Changing me. I couldn’t see it then. But it’s not who I wanted to be. I was lured in with the promise of power. I would have been lost forever. To the dark side. Not that I would have lived long. It’s… draining.”

“You still look like you’ve aged about ten years,” Hux said. At least he had started to look a little healthier over the past few days.

“Yes. Exactly. It would have killed me. I would have been the most powerful Force user in the galaxy and I couldn’t stop myself. But you could.”

“How exactly did I do that?” Hux only remembered losing the fight and crying on the floor like a pathetic child.

“You love me.”

“Loved,” Hux corrected.

“Doesn’t matter. I could feel that in the Force. It broke through to me. That saved me. You loved me enough that you saved me, Armitage.”

“Ridiculous,” he said, rolling his eyes. He couldn’t believe he was even listening to Kylo. “Regardless of what you think, I don’t love you anymore. You destroyed that.”

“I know,” Kylo said. He held out the lightsaber to him again. “But I want you to take it. Learn to use it.”

“Why?”

“I can’t unlearn what I learned. It’s possible I start down that path again. And if I do, I want you to be able to stop me by any means necessary. And if you don’t love me, then maybe you’ll have to kill me.”

That did seem like an appealing option. Hux took the lightsaber from Kylo and turned it over in his hand. He didn’t think he could ever use it to win in a fight, but maybe if he could properly use it, he might be able to come up with some effective tricks.

Kylo put the lid on the crate then opened the door to the trash compactor. He used the Force to toss it inside and then immediately started the compactor. They stayed together in silence, waiting until the computer notified them that all trash had been crushed and jettisoned. Whether that was truly enough to destroy Sith artifacts, Hux didn’t know, but he did know that whatever had happened to Kylo did seem to be reversing. Kylo smiled and Hux almost gave into the temptation to kiss him.

“I know you still love me,” Kylo said. 

“No,” Hux said. His chest hurt again. It wasn’t as constant as before, but the chest pain was still a problem. Even after several days of rest. Maybe he needed longer. As much as he hated to be away from his work, it really had been nice to not have any responsibilities for just a bit.

“I hurt you,” Kylo said. “I broke your heart, didn’t I?”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

“I saw the medical report. The chest pain. I feel it too. Whenever you think about how you feel about me. I know you still love me, Armitage. But I know you can’t let yourself feel that way. And that’s what’s hurting.”

“Well, then perhaps you should get off my ship. Some distance might be just what I need.” Hux didn’t want to stand around and listen to Kylo prattle on. He should have known that he would try to make an argument about why they should get back together, but Hux knew he could never trust him like that again.

It wasn’t that easy to get rid of Kylo Ren unfortunately and Hux found that Kylo was following him back to his quarters. At least he was silent, so Hux didn’t have to listen to him argue why he should be forgiven or whatever other nonsense he might come up with.

“I don’t have time for this,” Hux said as he stepped inside his quarters. He tried to shut the door in Kylo’s face, but he held it open with the Force. That gave Hux little choice but to let him inside. 

“I meant what I said,” Hux said once Kylo was inside. “Our relationship is over.”

“Yes,” Kylo agreed. “That one is. But what about a new relationship?”

“Absolutely not,” Hux said. “I trusted you when I shouldn’t have and nearly lost my life! And now I have some heart condition because of it! I’m not going to be involved with you in any way that’s not professional.”

“Just hear me out. You’re in pain. So am I. If I’m right, then I think we need to be together. Not in a sexual way. Not even romantically. Just… I think being close to each other will help. Because I know you still love me and I love you and neither of us have anyone else. So we should hold onto that.”

“Hold on to what? There’s nothing left.”

“We can build a new relationship.” Kylo reached out and gently grabbed Hux’s hand. He didn’t do anything else, just held his hand. It was strange, but not unpleasant. Hux had missed his touch, especially such a gentle one.

“I don’t want a relationship with you,” Hux said, although he couldn’t even lie to himself. He did want Kylo and the could feel tears in his eyes as he thought about how he would never have Kylo again. He had to reject him and keep himself safe. But he still didn’t pull his hand away.

He knew it would be better for him to push Kylo away, tell him that he wanted him off his ship and to never see him again but just the thought of that made his chest hurt even more. If it actually happened, Hux thought he might die. After everything Kylo had done to him, Hux still couldn’t stand the thought of not having him. 

“I hate you,” Hux said, putting his arms around Kylo and holding him close. “I hate you more than anyone else but the worst part is you’re right. I need you and I have no one else. And I can’t stop myself from loving you.”

Hux was crying as he spoke, but it did at least ease the pain in his chest. If Kylo had been right about everything else, maybe he was right about him having a broken heart. And maybe being with Kylo was the cure. He knew it would just lead to more pain later - Kylo would end up hurting him again, but Hux was used to pain. At least with Kylo he got something out of it as well.

“Armitage,” Kylo said, as he nuzzled into his neck. “I know you don’t trust me, but I will give you the galaxy. I will make you Emperor and I will be your loyal servant. Whatever you ask of me from now on. It’s yours.”

Hux knew there was no reason he should believe Kylo. It was just another lie to manipulate him. Kylo would never give up his power. Hux knew that but he didn’t care. He knew Kylo was a liar but Hux still loved him and always would. He wouldn’t let Kylo back in his bed, at least not for a very long time, but he could give Kylo another chance.

Even if it all blew up in his face again, there was no one that Hux would rather take a chance on. He loved Kylo more than anything. And at least sometimes, he knew that Kylo loved him too.


End file.
